So your landscape is finally taking shape and you’re ready to finally use your new backyard with its first family get together. But before you do, here are a few final tweaks to really bring out the personality of your landscaping at your Long Island home.
Trees
A well-placed tree or two can bring well-needed shade and privacy to your property and even contribute to cutting summer cooling costs inside your home if placed correctly. Trees also provide the functional value of contributing to privacy and reducing noise pollution. In terms of contributing to the aesthetic of your backyard, a single large tree such as an oak or maple can provide a majestic center point to your garden, while a line of small conifers can provide an attractive hedge or windbreaker. No landscape is complete without at least a few trees to add character, texture, and shape.
Sound
Sound is an element often neglected when homeowners think about their landscape. The sound profile of your backyard brings an entirely new dimension to your outdoor experience. Sound can be managed in two stages: preventative and proactive. First, to limit unwanted sound, be it noisy neighbors or the buzz of the Long Island expressway, tall trees, hedges, wooden boundary fences, and surrounding foliage can create a sound barrier that blocks unwanted sound from your yard. Secondly, to introduce more pleasing sounds, a water feature, fruit trees, or bird feeders can be introduced into your yard in order to attract birds. Other sounds can be introduced through certain plants that rustle as the wind blows through their leaves. Or if you simply want to be able to sit outdoors and relax to music, remember to install a set of quality outdoor speakers for your patio.
Landscape Lighting
With outdoor lighting, the mood of your landscape rests in your hands. With decorative and ambient lighting, the feel of the landscape can be adjusted through brightness, intensity, and color. Accent lighting is used to highlight certain features of your landscape, such as trees or water features, so that you can enjoy the visual effect of your design even during the evening. Lighting is also essential for personal safety when using your outdoor spaces at night. Walkway and stair lighting, for example, limits the risk of a misstep. No landscape is complete without a well thought out lighting plan.
Outdoor Furniture and Seating
Make your landscape a comfortable place to be by adding patio furniture. Benches can provide seating in tucked away corners of your yard while comfy patio furniture can create an enjoyable and relaxing social setting. Permanent seating with retaining walls is also a great way to create a lasting seating arrangements around permanent features such as fire pits and fireplaces. All forms of seating can be used to accentuate your style theme while providing comfort and convenience.
Decorative touches
From antique oak barrels as patio furniture to reclaimed farm equipment adorning your flowerbeds, country-style, decorative pieces are the final touches that truly personalize your landscape and make it your own. Take some time to hand select your decorative pieces in accordance with your tastes and style theme in order to achieve the backyard landscape you’ve always wanted. Some specific features to look at are flower pots, hanging pots, boulders, garden signs and arches.
